Chapter 26

Hikari woke up to the weight in his stomach.

When he tried to sit up, he found Hiren with her ear pressed against his chest, her eyes red.

"Good morning?"

"I couldn't find you at all, so I thought you might have been eaten."

"…Ah, sorry."

Currently, Hikari is still inside the dungeon.

He had told her that he would retreat at an appropriate time. So, she must have come looking for him after a while.

But it couldn't be helped. He couldn't escape.

It wasn't the right atmosphere to say that out loud.

If he did, he might be knocked out again by her fierce aura.

…Wait, was Hiren always this scary?

"Please explain what happened."

Oh no, I can see an Asura statue behind Hiren!

Hikari sat in seiza and recounted the situation in detail, breaking out in a cold sweat.

"…May I ask one thing?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"Hikari, you said you faced the Monster Parade with a pot that produces hard potatoes. Why did you think you could defeat the monsters just by throwing hard stones?"

"……"

As soon as he was asked, his blood froze.

Why did he think he could defeat the monsters just by throwing hard stones?

Especially when he had only increased his throwing skill by one level.

Geckos… I can understand, as they can be defeated just by stepping on them.

But Black Raccoons can be a bit of a struggle when they attack in groups.

And Silver Wolves are on par or even stronger.

What would have happened if the stones didn't work and he encountered the boss?

If he couldn't defeat the monsters and met the boss…

Realizing that his supposedly easy strategy was actually a tightrope walk, Hikari was speechless.

"…So, Hikari, you're actually just winging it, aren't you?"

"I'm sorry…"

"I'm not angry, you know?"

No, she is.

She's definitely angry!

Hikari argued in his mind.

But as if anticipating this, she raised one eyebrow slightly.

"I'm not angry, okay?"

"Y-Yes…"

Suddenly, his spine shuddered.

Hikari swallowed hard.

…No, this girl is scary.

"I thought you were a more thoughtful person who would execute plans carefully. I'm surprised."

"I'm really sorry…"

"It's fine. I understand you now."

The words "that kind of person" sounded like "useless person," and Hikari felt even more deflated.

"It's really good that you're alive…"

Hiren sighed deeply.

The relief in her breath pierced Hikari's heart.

"…So, how was it outside?"

"The Self-Defense Corps members are all alive. A few were injured, though."

"I see…"

But it's good that everyone is safe.

It was worth the effort.

…Maybe it was more than just a little effort.

He even got to fight some amazing monsters.

They were wonderful.

He doesn't want to fight them again, but he's glad he did.

There's more to come.

Even better monsters higher up.

He wants to see them with his own eyes!

Hikari looked down at the werewolf's corpse, a worthy opponent.

How long will it take before he can fight such monsters again?

By then, he will surely have the presence to be recognized without a mask!

With this faint hope in his heart…

Hikari collected the scattered weapons from the final clash.

He closed his eyes for a moment and carried the werewolf's corpse out of the dungeon.

*

When the boss's corpse was carried out, the Self-Defense Corps members murmured in surprise.

Hiren hurried to stop them, who were about to attack with their shovels.

"Miss, what's going on here?"

"Well, Hikari defeated the boss, and the stampede ended."

Defeating the boss to end the stampede.

Hikari felt a bit ticklish inside at this explanation.

As an adventurer, it's natural to suppress a stampede.

He thinks it's natural, but somewhere inside, he wants to puff out his chest and say, "How about that?"

Great job, Hikari!

You're amazing, Hikari!

You're a true adventurer!

Imagining such praise, Hikari was taken aback by the response:

"……………………Who is he?"

"“Eh…?”"

Hikari and Hiren's voices harmonized.

Um…

Adventurer Hikari is right here, in front of you?

"Kuraboshi… Did the girl defeat that monster?"

"No, no! My friend Hikari defeated it alone."

"Again, don't create a fictional character to be humble, miss!"

It's not fictional!

He exists!

Why do they stubbornly deny Hikari's existence?

Is Hikari an NG word on a global scale?

He feels like his heart is breaking from the unprecedented strong ignore.

…Could it be?

Hikari shuddered at his own prediction.

He dived into the dungeon once more and checked his skill board.

- Stealth

0 → 1

"Ahhhh! It grew on its own!!"

The cause was probably his effort to hide his presence.

When he was using the fixed cannon to attack the monsters, he tried hard to hide his presence so they wouldn't notice him.

Is that why?

Did it grow because of that!?

"…Damn it!"

Tears overflowed and fell.

Why?

Even though he suppressed the stampede, he feels so bitter.

Ah.

The future where his presence becomes stronger is fading away…

Wiping away his tears and returning to the surface, Hiren was still explaining, looking exasperated.

Should he just let Hiren take the credit for defeating the boss?

It's troublesome to explain.

His heart is broken…

But when Hiren looked back with a "please help me" expression, even that didn't reach Hikari.

Hikari sighed and put on his mask.

"Hello, I'm Hikari."

The Self-Defense Corps members were startled.

"When did you get there?!"

I've been here all along!

I was right next to Hiren!

He held back the urge to shout.

That's strange.

There are no onion monsters, yet the tears…

"Excuse me, I'm Shizaki, the leader of the Joint Self-Defense Corps."

"Ah, nice to meet you, Hikari Hikari."

Shizaki, if he wore his uniform to a bar, would surely stand out as a nice middle-aged man.

The women in the bar would probably be captivated by his aura.

Damn. What a great aura!

"Did you defeat this boss?"

"Yes, it was a close call."

Shizaki looked at his subordinates, as if asking if they had fought this monster before.

But the response was not good.

It seems none of them had fought a werewolf.

Hikari explained his actions to Shizaki, just as he had to Hiren.

"What were you thinking?! Don't you value your life?!"

Shizaki suddenly became furious.

He was reckless, what if he had died?

His subordinates were so worried they were fidgeting.

But Hikari didn't say a word.

Because he felt warmth in Shizaki's words.

Ah, I see.

This person sees adventurers as citizens to protect, even when they fight alongside them…

He risked his life too.

Even with an injured arm.

That's just part of the job.

Getting injured for everyone is part of the job.

Being scolded in such a tone made Hikari feel only gratitude.

Good job, Hikari, your Stealth skill went up by one!